Combined pop and squirt toy gun



May 31, 1960 a. E. SMOLEN 2,938,512

COMBINED POP AND SQUIRT TOY GUN Filed March 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. SMOL EN.

INVENTOR. BENJAMIN 6 CUI'ORWE K May 31, 1960 B. E. SMOLEN COMBINED POP AND SQUIRT TOY cum 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 10, 1958 EEG:

INVENTOR.

BfN/AM/N E. SMOL EN COMBINED POP AND SQUIRT TOY GUN Filed Mar. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 720,466 Claims. (01. 124-2) This invention relates to amusement devices and, more particularly, to a toy for children.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination toy for children in the form of a gun that can be used selectively to eject a stream of water, emanate a detonating sound, and to launch a target in response to actuation of the trigger assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination toy gun that is readily separable into two separate components, whereby the main body section thereof which contains the water ejecting means and target launcher-can be used as an independent unit apart from the sound mechanism.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a water pistol having a self-contained target launcher in which an initial pull upon the trigger is operative to first release the target, and continued movement upon the trigger is operative to eject the fluid stream that can be selectively aimed at the moving target, so as to provide a completely .safe and harmless target practice toy.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a combined toy of the type described that is extremely simple in construction, efficient in operation, and which has a minimum number of parts.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combined toy gun of the above type that is completely separable into two separate gun units and which can be manufactured in large quantities at a relatively low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: V

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a toy gun made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the toy shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the toy gun shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the toy gun shown in Fig. 1, with the sound mechanism removed therefrom.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear portion of the gun element shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a removable closure member for closing the open rear extremity of the housing shown in Fig. 5 when the sound mechanism is removed therefrom.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the closure shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the sound mechanism forming a part of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the target launcher portion of the gun.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the target launching mechanism.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, a toy gun 10 made in accordance Patented May 31, 1960 As is more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the

inside of the hollow handle 16- defines a reservoir 17 for storing a quantity of water 18, an auxiliary reservoir 19 being provided within a simulated cartridge enclosure 23. A common passageway 20 communicates with the auxiliary reservoir and main reservoir, whereby a reserve quantity of water may be carried for delivery to the main reservoir upon the emptying thereof during use. The front end of the auxiliary reservoir is provided with an inlet opening 27 that is normally closed by means of a filler plug 22, whereby the unit may be readily refilled with water as may be required. A water pump 24 isalso contained within the handle 16 of the housing and has actuating plunger slidably disposed Within an air cylinder 26 and connected to a manually operated trigger 29 that is slidably supported Within the housing. Thus, in

response to a rearward movement of the trigger 29, the pump 24 is operative to deliver a quantity of water from.

the reservoir 17 to an ejection nozzle 31 at the front end of the barrel 15 through a supply tube 30. noted that the passageway 20 extends through the guard 21 of the trigger and that the flexible tubing 30 extends through an elongated slot 32 in the trigger bar 33, so that proper operation of the device is not interfered with. Each side of this trigger bar 33 is provided with -a longitudinal slot 34 that slidably receives inwardly extending rails 35 on the inside of the housing 16. These rails 35 guide the trigger bar 33 for reciprocating longitudinal movement during operation thereof. A tongue 37 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 38 extends rearwardly from the trigger bar 33 for actuating the sound mechanism, that will be hereinafter described.

Mounted in front of the trigger unit and within the housing 12 is a target launcher 40 that is operative to eject a target during the initial movement of the trigger 29. This launcher includes a well 42 that opens upwardly toward the top of the housing and which slidably supports a sleeve 43 for reciprocating vertical movement therewithin. A compression spring 44, disposed within the sleeve 43 and positioned by means of an upwardly extending pin 45, normally urges the sleeve 43 toward the top of the gun, a radially inwardly extending flange 47 of the housing providing a stop for limiting outward movement of the sleeve by abutting with the shoulder 48 defined between the sleeve 43 and an outwardly extending post 49. This post is bifurcated so as to provide a pair of spaced apart parallel arms 50 that define a slot therebetween for frictionally engaging a target placed therewithin.

The side of the sleeve 43 of the target launcher is also provided with an indent 56 which releasably receives a detent member 57 that extends forwardly from the front end of the trigger bar 33 through an opening 58 in the wall of the well 42. When the post 49 is depressed against the action of the spring 44, the spring 28 of the water pump 24 is operative to urge the detent 57 into the indent 56 so as to retain the target launcher in the firing position. However, upon initial rearward movement of the trigger, the detent 57 will release the target launcher so as to exert an upward force upon the target 55 that is supported between the arms 50, thus imparting an upward flight thereto.

With further reference now to Figs. 2 and 9 of the drawing, a sound device 60 is shown to include a handle It will be,

61 and a striking'mechanism 63 for imparting a sharp blow to a strip of paper 65 that is fed from a roll 64 by an automatic feed mechanism (not shown) of a type well'kriown in the art.' As the paper strip is struck, the impact of the blow fractures the paper and emits a sharp audible sound simulating the firing ofa gun. A

A motion transmitting arm 67 extends forwardly from the trigger 66 and into the cutout 72 defined by the rearwardly extendingarms 13 of the main housing 12. Each side of the mechanism 63 is provided with a pair of spaced apart parallel vertical grooves 70 that slidably receive longitudinally spaced apart vertically extending tracks 71 on the inside surfaces of the arms 13. Thus, the sound mechanism part of the gun is assembled. with the main housing 12 by sliding the mechanism portion 63 downwardly into the cutout 72 with the tracks 71 in sliding engagement within the grooves 70. During this downward movement, the finger 6 will automatically drop into one of the apertures 38 in the rearwardly extending tongue 37, thus operatively connecting the trigger mechanism 66 of the sound mechanism to the trigger bar 33 of the trigger 29.

The operation of the toy will. now be readily understood. In using the toy as a complete single unit, the sound mechanism forms an integral part of the housing 12 with the depending finger 68 in engagement with the rearwardly extending tongue 37 of the trigger bar. After filling the reservoirs with water, the unit is ready for operation. The launching mechanism is loaded by depressing the post 49 and inserting a target 55 into the space between the arms 50. By then pulling back upon the trigger 29, the initial movement will release the target launcher, thus ejecting the target 55. Continued movement upon the trigger 29 will actuate the pump so as to eject a stream of water outwardly from the nozzle 31 which can be aimed by the operator of the toy at the Having thus-described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A toy gun comprising, in combination, a main housing having a front end and a rear end, water-ejecting means at the front end of said housing, a mounting at the rear end of said'housing,a sound mechanism detachably supported upon said mounting, and a target launcher intermidate said front and rear ends of said housing, a

trigger assembly supported upon said housing operatively connected to said target launcher, water-ejecting means, and said sound mechanism, for successive actuation there of, said mounting comprising a pair of rearwardly extending arms defining a space therebetween, said trigger being supported intermediate said front and rear ends and having a tongue extending rearwardly into said space, said sound mechanism being slidablysupported between said arms and having a finger releasably engaged with said tongue for actuation of said sound mechanism in response to rearward movementof said trigger.

2. A toy gun as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arms lie in spaced and parallel planes, an said sound mechanism is slidable alonga line parallel to said planes and normal to the longitudinal axis of said housing.

3. A toy gun as set forth in claim 1, wherein said target launcher comprises a" post supported within said housing for movement normal to the longitudinal axis of said housing, a springacting against said post resisting inward movement thereof, and aidetent rctainingsaid post in a retracted position, said detent being responsive to release said post during rearward movement of said trigger. V s

4. Atoy gun as set forth inclaim 3, wherein initial movement of said trigger effectsthe release of said post,

target. The final portion of the continuous movement of the trigger 29 is operative to actuate the mechanism 63 of the sound unit, thus providing an audible effect to each firing of the gun. If desired, the sound mechanism may be removed from the gun and the open space 72 filled with the closure plate 75 by engaging the tracks 71 of the housing 12 within the grooves 76 of the enclosure plate, whereby the main housing 12 provides a finished and attractive appearance completely independently of the sound mechanism.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is bestdefined by the claims appended hereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,227" Anthony Mar. 24, 1903 1,187,065 Kallenbaugh June 13, 1916 2,302,963 Lefever Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy May 30, 1953 

